Time flew by, and six years passed in the blink of an eye...
Over the past six years, many things happened in the Warring States. The most shocking of all was the ongoing, seemingly endless war between the Uchiha and the Senju.
It was as if both clans had taken the wrong medicine. The Senju were completely ruthless, refusing to retreat even in the face of death. They had already dragged three of their subordinate clans into the meat grinder without showing the slightest intention of backing down.
The Uchiha, on the other hand, were under immense pressure, almost getting their defensive lines breached several times. By the fourth year, voices advocating for peace negotiations even emerged within the clan. Though quiet, it signaled a grim reality: the Uchiha had suffered horrific casualties.
However, the Uchiha seemed to possess an inherently tyrannical bloodline. The worse the situation got, the harder they gritted their teeth and fought back. To hold the line, they even deployed their clan's ultimate forbidden jutsu: Izanagi. When dead Uchiha shinobi stood back up one by one, their wounds erased, and charged back into the fray, the Senju were absolutely stunned.
Relying on this mutually destructive forbidden jutsu, the Uchiha forcibly withstood the Senju's frenzied assaults, not yielding a single inch.
Naturally, war always breeds legends. As the two clans fought to the bitter end, the next generation was gradually thrown into the crucible of the battlefield. Through brutal slaughter, the names of two great geniuses began to spread far and wide.
Senju Hashirama of the Senju Clan of the Forest, and Uchiha Madara of the Uchiha Clan of Blood. The two grew at a terrifying pace on the battlefield, hailed as the absolute future hope of their respective clans.
Of course, aside from them, geniuses like Uchiha Izuna and Senju Tobirama were also highly active. However, beneath the dazzling, sun-like radiance of their older brothers, all other geniuses were inevitably eclipsed—except, perhaps, for a certain someone completely forgotten in the north.
The life-and-death struggle on the main battlefield had little to do with Uchiha Xuan.
He had quietly stayed in Xin City for six years. In the third year of the conflict, at the age of nine, he successfully broke through to the Jōnin level.
The exact moment he reached Jōnin level, he successfully used Kotoamatsukami to flawlessly mind-control Uchiha Shinji, quietly taking his seat as the true mastermind of Xin City. However, the Elite Jōnin stationed there still looked at him with an air of superiority, completely unaware of his true strength.
Over these six years, he successfully infused Wind Style chakra into the Rasengan, completing its change in chakra form and developing the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken. Unfortunately, since he did not possess Sage Mode, he couldn't throw the jutsu from a distance, drastically limiting its practicality.
This wasn't even his biggest harvest. His greatest achievement was finally breaking through to the second stage of the Flying Raijin Jutsu. He could now place spatial marks directly on living targets and deploy the Flying Raijin: Guiding Thunder barrier to effortlessly teleport incoming Ninjutsu attacks away.
In addition, he spent 6,000 points to redeem Earth, Lightning, and Water chakra affinities, becoming a true powerhouse possessing all five basic chakra natures. By his own estimation, effortlessly killing an Elite Jōnin was absolutely no problem. He could even confidently hold his own against a Peak Jōnin. As for Kage-level experts, since he hadn't fought one yet, he couldn't make a definitive judgment.
Naturally, he wasn't perfectly well-rounded. When it came to Taijutsu, he could only sigh helplessly. He merely met the standard physical requirements of a Jōnin. For physical combat, he would just have to wait until he could redeem the Eight Inner Gates from the System.
As for the three northern factions—the Akahane, the Ghost Fire Alliance, and the Three-Clan Alliance—they had enjoyed a brief period of peace after their united ambush on Uchiha Tō. But the cracks in their relationship were impossible to mend. Add to that a certain black-cloaked mastermind constantly sowing discord from the shadows, and the three factions eventually descended into total, bloody chaos once again.
"Lord Xuan, here you are! Lord Shinji and the Elite Jōnin are waiting for you to start the war council," an Uchiha Chūnin ran over and reported quickly.
Xuan smiled and nodded. "I'll be right there." Tapping his foot lightly against the ground, he blurred into a black shadow, heading straight toward the central meeting hall.
Watching him disappear, the Chūnin sighed with profound admiration. "Lord Xuan is only twelve, yet he already possesses the strength of a true Jōnin. His future is limitless. He might even become a clan elder one day."
Casually stepping into the council hall, Xuan saw that everyone else had indeed already arrived. With a light chuckle, he sat cross-legged on a side cushion. "Apologies for my tardiness."
"Heh. It's not the first or second time our great genius has been late. Geniuses always enjoy certain privileges the rest of us don't, I suppose," a discordant, mocking voice suddenly rang out.
Xuan looked up. It was Uchiha Sora, one of the seven Elite Jōnin. Their relationship was generally unremarkable, though Sora had harbored some dissatisfaction back when a six-year-old Xuan was allowed to sit in on the northern war councils.
But as Xuan grew older and stronger—especially after officially reaching the Jōnin rank three years ago—his authority in the north surged. Furthermore, Uchiha Shinji never opposed a single word Xuan said, a fact that made Sora intensely jealous.
A few months ago, Xuan had effortlessly pointed out several glaring, fatal flaws in one of Sora's strategic proposals, prompting Shinji to reject it on the spot. Thoroughly humiliated in front of his peers, Sora secretly began holding a grudge, blaming Xuan for the rejection and targeting him with petty jabs whenever possible.
Xuan paid absolutely no mind to his provocations. In fact, Sora jumping out right now was perfect—Xuan was just looking for a chance to make an example out of someone to properly intimidate these Elite Jōnin and solidify his control over the military. The timing just hadn't been right until now.
"I also believe geniuses should have certain privileges. We really think alike on this one," Xuan replied with a breezy, nonchalant smile. His tone was light and airy, but it was absolutely infuriating enough to make someone cough up blood.
"You...! Hmph!" Sora flared up in anger. Finding it hard to justify an outburst over such a casual remark, he could only snort coldly and sit back down, his face entirely black.
The other Elite Jōnin glanced at the two, secretly frowning but keeping their opinions to themselves.
"Ahem. Alright, this meeting was convened at Uchiha Sora's request. Sora, let's hear your thoughts," Uchiha Shinji spoke up from the central seat of authority. He exchanged a subtle, brief glance with Xuan—a silent understanding passing effortlessly between them.
Suppressing his lingering anger, Sora stood up. "It has been six years. The three northern factions have been fighting continuously, and their overall strength has severely depleted. I believe we can no longer sit back and wait. We should at least attempt a proactive strike to test their current capabilities."
"Oh? And how exactly does Lord Sora propose we test them?" Xuan asked smoothly once Sora finished his pitch.
"I believe we should launch a preliminary attack on either the Shiraishi or the Kusabuka clan of the Three-Clan Alliance. They are the weakest factions and currently lack a Peak Jōnin. Based on their reaction and how the other alliances respond, we can gauge the overall status of the northern forces and plan our next move," Sora declared confidently.
Seeing several Elite Jōnin nod in agreement, he shot Xuan a highly provocative glare.
A mocking smirk curled on Xuan's lips. In a voice perfectly calibrated for Sora to hear clearly, he muttered:
"Idiot."
____
PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON PATREON:
Patreon.com/IndifferentVillain
Early Access and + 60 chapter ahead of webnovel monthly, ur support keeps me motivated...thanks and enjoy reading
_____________